Keeping the Castle: A few cuts here and there

I have a bug. The Fall Cleaning type of bug that I get every year around this time. I've mentioned in a few other posts that I am so over stuff and junk and stuff. Goodwill is loving me. My tax lady is going to hate me.

I decided to start a quick list of the big items I needed to get done asap (you know, in between working, the kids, the guest bath make-over, the hallway make-over, the formals make-over...).

The first thing on that list was a major cleaning on the old frigidaire. Except, it's really a GE. :P Shame on me for not taking before shots. But come on... if you've seen one crowded, dirty fridge, you've seen them all. Right?

While at Target (does anyone else read that as Tarjay?), I picked up a few $1.99 place mats. Not for the table, but for the fridge. I am so sick of mopping up grape jelly, so I decided to cover the shelves in the place mats and if (when!) they get dirty, I just need to pull out the mat and wash it in the sink.

Brilliant, aren't I?

So, I pulled everything out. Everything! And I scrubbed ever crevice of that big hunk of metal and stainless steel. I then rearranged some of the shelves and started to add the mats. And eggs, obviously.

I had to cut a few of them, here and there, to fit. (Mats, not eggs. That would be weird.) One I even had to cut in half, so that I needed to tuck the front of the shelf under it's partner, I could  - without having to take the mat out.

I know...it's obvious that my camera battery wasn't charged, again. I had to use my iPad. Sorry about that.
But, after I threw out a ton and loaded everything back in, I was pleased with my work.

Except that I see a slight photo bomb going on here. The sour cream is out of the place. It is supposed to be on the top right shelf. Next to the pico de gallo (yellow bowl) and salsa. Duh. Obviously the Mr. messed up, after making himself a plate of red chicken enchiladas (tin foil covered pan, bottom right shelf).

Okay. One thing to check off my list. Next thing is the pantry. Or the linen closet. Or something. In the meantime, I am off to go charge my dang camera battery.

Where have you been all my li-i-i-i-ife?

I ask the same question that Rihanna does. However, where as she's prolly talking about Chris Breazy, I am directing my question to someone much cooler.

Ladies and gentlegerms... I am now drinking Erin Condren's Kool-Aid and I likey.

I have been thinking for a while about purchasing one of these babies. I admit, the price gave me a bit of sticker shock in the beginning, but I will tell you honestly, I had no issues pulling the trigger clicking on the Buy Now button.  None.

From start to finish, I had my order in my hands within 8 days. Two days earlier than promised.

Here is a picture from my phone, from my BED, on the day it arrived. I was like a freakin' school girl:

The box and packaging was beautiful. My 13 year old thought for SURE it was a package for her. Justin Bieber tickets, maybe? Tsk Tsk. Silly girl.

While I was waiting for the planner to come, I checked out ECs Wall of Fame on Pinterest. I wanted to see what all the cool kids were doing. And I was in awe. There were stickers, washi-tape stamps, colorful pens, etc. Not to be outdone, I ran over to Hobby Lobby to see what I could find. Oh, and I scavenged through my office, too.

I had the highlighters on hand, but I decided to purchase a few stamps. For obvious reasons, I won't always have time to make my notes pretty; however, for things that I about well in advance, why can't I? And look at that stamp to the right. I mean left. Up there at the top of the picture.

So, so, so true. I figured I would use that when I wanted to jot down blog ideas. Or special bloggy events. Like this one:

Wait a minute... What's that say?! On 9/23, this little blog is going to be featured on Eighteen25? Say it ain't so, Joe!! Wait a minute, Joe. Don't say that. I'd hate to screw this up. I am not going to give too much away, but it DOES have to do with their Spooktacular series that's going on right now. SQUEAL!

Erin throws in some cute little extras. Stickers, a few call-me cards, and a ton of cute quotes. I opted to go for the 16-month calendar. And I love it. When I shared on Instagram that it arrived, one of my friends on FB said that she loved them, but couldn't get past the price.

I get it. BUT! When you think about it... a really good 12-month planner can cost around $20-25 IF NOT MORE at Target or Staples. I have a GORG! planner to use from NOW until NEXT DECEMBER, people. That is worth the price for me.  Plus the quality is SUPREME. When you hold it in your hands for the first time, it's loverly. I will tell you though... it took me two days to WANT to even write in it. It's that nice-looking.

Oh... I didn't share the front with you yet?

This is the best shot I could get (you know, lighting, flash, reflections, etc)... but it has my name on the side all scrolly like. It has my blog tagline.

And the picture is from my recent shoot with my friend, Amy. I realize my head is missing, but I remember how I felt that day - I felt GOOD. I love the look of the jeans and my hand on my hip. My hair wasn't quite right in that shot; I cropped it so. And to that picture I added a reminder for myself.

I sit here, happy and delighted over a piece of stationary/office-supply product. To those that REALLY know me, that won't shock you at all, will it?

Big Ideas

I am a self-proclaimed idea person. I have a TON of ideas. And they are generally jammed in between the pages of the many spiral notebooks I use for work.

What's the fun in that?! Especially when it's time to actually get to work on said idea?!

Thus - the "What's the Big Idea?" worksheet. Another lovely Sweet Sheet from yours truly!

You can use this little cheat sheet for documenting blog ideas or craft ideas or kids can even use it for school projects. In fact, I just had Isa use one similar for her History project.

There are three important sections to this sheet.

1) The lined tape is for you to put your project name.
2) Your idea, written out.
3) Supplies needed for the project.

You can download it for free by clicking on the download button below!



Wouldn't it be cute to keep a copy of all of your ideas in one notebook, not only so you can stay more organized, but to also keep a trail of your brilliant ideas!

Happy Brainstorming!!

My Goals for Today [Free Printable]

The word "goals" is much better than the command "do"... right?
Can I get an "Amen"...?

I admit - the end of summer is near and I, your royal highness, is feeling a tad bit whelmed. (Is that even a word? Name that movie?!)

In two short weeks, I am sending my kiddos off to school. All THREE kiddos. Which means, I will be home alone. Well, just me and the pups.

Don't mind them.

Of course, I do have a full time job, so I won't exactly be sitting on the couch, watching 90210 re-runs, sipping on Dr. Pepper and eating Chips Ahoy during the entire 6.5 hours of bliss.

Nope. I still have things to do, places to go, and food to make, bake, or microwave.

I decided to ease my mind a little and created a sweet sheet - a place to document my goals for the day. Of course, if I am unable to complete one of the goals, I can always move it to the next day.

Here's what I recommend:

• If you print using Picasa, change it so that it fits onto the screen and remove the borders. It will print nicely. 
• Use the back of scrap paper. It's pretty, but it doesn't have to be THAT pretty.
• Use a clip board and keep it handy! You know, so that you can easily check off an item when you've completed it!
• For even more fun?! Keep each of the sheets and add them to a memory book so that for years to come, you can marvel at your awesomeness. :) Be sure to add the date to your page! I add mine above the bunting swag (top right hand corner).

Here's a glimpse of what I've jotted down for today...

There is nothing more I love than a list and a clean desk. Well... at least I got the list part taken care of. Here's to tackling the cleaning of my desk...tomorrow?!

Click here to download this super sweet sheet:

Dinnertime Chores [Free Printable]

As you may have heard, my dear niece, Abby, has left the coop. This means that we are down one helper in the kitchen. [Actually, with the help that Abby provided, we are down more like 2 helpers! /sigh]

I found the cutest dinnertime chores chart on ARMOMMY. I thought the idea was darling... but the page not really my style. It was soft and perfect. I am loud and imperfect. On this we can agree, right? So, I decided to make my own version.

I have plans to print it off and either put it in a 8x10 frame and set it on the kitchen counter... or laminate (ooo! aahhh!) and hang it on the fridge. Either way, dry erase markers will help me fill in the names.

I was thinking about the ways my littlest dude can help out in the kitchen. I started to think - not so much. But then, I remembered he IS five and I HAVE caught him making his own PB&Js a few times. He can totally help a madre out.

The husband helps out with the cooking on Thursdays and Fridays (his days off), so I created a space for who the hefe will be and will update it accordingly.

If all goes as planned, my plan for total house domination is well under way! One printable at a time.

P.S. I love sharing! You can download the file from here. If you'd like it customized...consider visiting Blueprints by QOTC.



P.S.S. Go visit ARMOMMY's site. It's super cute with a ton of great products and even a meal planning service!

Cute but Costly

I was at Target this week - had a few things to grab. I always, always shuffle down the office supplies/organization aisles. Not sure if you've been there lately, but they really do have some cute stuff.

Cute... but costly. I really hate spending a ton of money on something I know I can get for cheaper, or make for practically free.

Take this for example:

via

There is a MUCH cuter picture on Jen's site; however, it also has her son's face. I didn't want to be rude. So be sure to check it out here.

This is such a FANTASTIC idea - that I love so much. So much, so, that I am actually going to go back through my memory envelopes and reorganize them. And since Nic is starting Kindergarten in the fall, I get to start from scratch.

While I love the below folders, I did not like the price ($6.99 for 12).

So I got these. 36 for $3.44. And now I just need to get labels...

But not these labels... almost $9 for 150. That is so crazy!

So I need to find a way to take the plain Jane folders and make them more purdy. I see a fun project in my (very near) future!

Spicy Organization

That catch your interest?!

Of course, I am talking about my spices and my spice cabinet... AGAIN. I spent a few minutes reorganizing it the other day, and thought I'd share some pictures!


I moved my sugar and flour containers into the spice cabinet... I actually bought new containers for them, too. Along with some Martha labels from Staples, they are now labeled and looking mighty fine.

Yes, I need to add brown sugar to my grocery list.

I got these little containers and the holder at IKEA the last time I was there. Very inexpensive. They were empty for quite a while, before I decide to go in consolidate and fill them up. 

I made some VERY SIMPLE labels for them. They are attached with string.

Finally, that little cabinet and the spice corner are looking much cleaner and much less unorganized.

That makes me happy!

In addition to that area... I also took the time to go through my pantry.
Dun Dun Dunnnnnnn.

I published THIS before a few days back (crazy lady!):

Thankfully, it's looking a LOT better these days:

I went to the Dollar Tree and bought a ton of little baskets and used them to store pre-packaged and re-packaged items (good for snacks!).

There's the left side of the pantry that I failed to get a picture of... but you get the idea.

Love me some organization!

If there were such a place...

The husband and I took our shopping list and headed out yesterday afternoon. We needed to hit Costco, Fry's (our local grocery store), and the gas station.

My goal was to spend no more than $150 on groceries... I went over by $23.
But that's what happens when the husband tags along. He is a perpetual saboteur.

Here's where I mention the SAVINGS.

 With our coupons and our store card, we saved over $90. That's a decent savings!  Also, on gas?! We had 883 fuel points, so I was able to fill up my Van's for $0.80 off per gallon... We paid $3.13 a gallon! Nice savings there!

When all was said and done, I got everything we needed (and then some). Once we got home, the kids and I proceeded to put things away and pre-package snacks and re-package chips, meat, etc.

Re-Package.... Now that's a thought! Re-packing into clear containers or baggies always lets you see what you have left. This is a good idea, especially when it's time to go shopping again. You will only have to purchase what you really need.

I bought a box of 50 snack baggies... and filled every single one of them up, plus 20 additional I had on hand. For the kids' snacks, I portioned out Vanilla Wafers, pretzels, cheese popcorn, and Ritz crackers. They know that they cannot just grab food whenever they want... that we have a plan they have to follow.  If there is more week, at the end of the food, they are stuck with ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. {hey, it's kinda preparing them for college, right?!}  We spent about 30 minutes, with all of us working at it. Time well spent, I say!

My pantry is so unorganized right now, but while I have the energy today, I will go in and get it back to the way I like it - everything in its place!

No more standing inside the pantry... trying to figure out what they can have. Between the menu plan and the prepackaging, they should be sitting pretty.

Speaking of 'inside the pantry'... take a gander at our ketchup:

Do you buy the HUGE can from Costco? We started doing it recently... it's SOOO cheap and very easy to re-packaged into old bottles (that sounds weird. they are already used up ketchup bottles, clean!). =)
Sometimes shopping at the warehouse stores is really the best way to go... Especially when I am feeding a six-pack!

Okay - off to organize that pantry now. And to lock it when I am done with it. hehe.

Menu for the Week {Organization!}

Before we bought our house, we lived in a 3 bedroom apartment in the city.
"In the city..." --> I laugh at that. Only because we aren't truly out in the country now {shhh! don't let the cows know I said that!}, but the closest grocery store is a little over 5 miles down the road. Whereas, when we lived in Tempe, I had a choice of stores, including Costco, almost at arm's length.

I found that with since moving here, plus the added expenses of owning a home, we've totally gone off of our menu/organization/grocery shopping plan. It used to be that Isabel and I would prep the kitchen, make our lists, and then go shopping very early on Saturday mornings. Very early. Now...? There's really no rhyme or reason. Except for our Costco trips (p.s. closest Costco? 16 miles down the road).

With this new found lack of organization, all of a sudden, the daughter goes to make a cake and there is no oil. NO OIL!? That's never happened before. Or... the kids are eating full meals for snacks, because there is nothing quick and easy to grab.

For the sake of my own sanity, I've decided to pull out all of my old spreadsheets and methods and update them a little. In our monthly budget, I have $500 set aside for groceries and toiletries. I also have $300 set aside for Costco (which includes dog food, meat, cheese, and other bulk items).

Now more than ever, I need to STICK to those numbers. In addition, I need to quit serving the same old meals, I serve all of the time. Tacos, sausage, veggies and pasta, etc. I need to branch out a little more {more on that later}.

This is where the weekly menu comes in. If I write it down... I have to stick to it, right?

Here's a close up of one of my forms... the meal plan and shopping list.

Based on the flyers I scoured through (see above) and the coupons I have on hand, I filled out my menu and our shopping list. For each day of the week, I've listed out breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

In addition, I made the sheet, laminated it and then broke it out by breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner - for each day of the week. This is the copy that will be hanging on the fridge for the family to see.

Ignore the huge GREEN writing... it was the only dry erase marker I had on hand. Hmmm, I need to add that to my shopping list - new markers.

It took me a while to get everything back up and running... but we are ready for our shopping on Thursday.
On Sunday, I am having the family over for Easter - but after that, we are sticking to the schedule. I have 30 coupons that I cut from the paper this past Sunday (okay, two papers)... and based on my shopping list, I am going to go online and see if I can find/print any more. Anything to save a few bucks. ;)

Now that this part of the process is done, I am working on creating a family friendly recipe book to keep on hand for when I am planning meals. The goal is to try one new recipe each week.